Key bolt



March 17, 1931. w, KEMPF 1,796,793

KEY BOLT Filed May 12, 1927 I" .1. v /W ,iz ia figuring? Patented Mar. 17, 1931 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL F. W. KE-MIF, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK KEY BOLT Application filed May 12, 1927. Serial No. 190,765.

M invention relates to improvements in In the drawings: key olts, and more particularly to the lock Fig. 1 is an edge view of two metallic plates or wedge key used in connection with the bolt temporarily joined or connected together by proper. means of a key bolt having my improved Key bolts have heretofore been found to be wedge key inserted therethrough. 55 deficient in serviceability when used in set- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown ting-up work subjected to jars or vibrations in Fig. 1. j occasioned by the action of pneumatic ham- Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line mers used for heading rivets, or to other 3-3, Fig. 1,the bolt proper being shown parcauses tending to loosen the keys of the bolts; tially in section and partially in elevation. d and for this reason, key bolts have not been Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of my generally used wherethe parts to be temimproved wedge key. porarily connected or joined are subjected to Key bolts, as stated, are employed for temjars and vibrations prior to or during the porarily connecting two or more parts topermanent fastening of such parts together. gether with a view of permanently connecting 65 The primary object of my invention is to the joint by means of rivets or other permaprovide a key bolt with a wedge key which, nent fastening devices, and in the drawings when inserted into the slot of a key bolt,will I have shown these parts as represented by have firm contact with the side walls of the two metallic plates 5, 6, which are overlapped slot as well as with one of the end walls thereand adapted to be riveted together, said plates 7 of. a being provided with registering rivet holes Another object of my invention is to so along their marginal portions in the usual construct the key that, when driving the same way, and at intervals along the plates, key within the slot of a key bolt, parts of the key bolts are inserted through registering rivet i along a portion of its length will become holes, the key bolt proper being designated spread or disalined and impinge against the by the numeral 7 and having the head 8 therebolt along a greater area and, therefore, will of in contact with one of the two plates, while not become loosened by vibrations or jarring the shank of the bolt extends through both of the elements or parts "temporarily conplates and projects a distance outwardly benected by the bolt. yond the other plate. This key bolt may be 89 A further object of my invention is the of any common construction, that shown provision of a wedge key having two tongues being constructed according to the product re normally alined, but which become disalined sulting from my improved method of manuor spread when driven into a key. facturing key bolts, as set out in my co-pend- A still further object of my invention is to ing application filed April 18, 1927, Serial 35 provide a key for a key bolt which is slit or No. 184,525, and according to which the key otherwise severed along a portion of its slot 9 within the shank of the bolt has its length so as to provide two longitudinal outer end wall beveled in opposite directions, tongues, the slit extending transversely as indicated at 10, 11, Fig. 1. This key slot through the key at an obtuse angle to one side extends from a point near the outer end of so thereof and at an acute angle to the other the shank of the bolt lengthwise along the side, the slit being therefore obliquely formed shank a distance suflicient to assure one edge through the key to form correspondingbevels of a wedge key 12 riding in contact with the on the opposing edges of the tongues; surface of the part through which the shank With the above and other objects to appear of the bolt extends, or as shown in the drawhereinafter, the invention consists in the ings, the inner edge of the wedge key rests novel features of construction, and in the arupon a washer 13 slipped over the unheaded rangement and combination of parts to be projecting end of the key bolt. In many hereinafter described and more particularly cases this washer is dispensed with and it is pointed out in the subjoined claims. therefore to be understood that the key 12 may we be inserted into the slot 9 of the key bolt and driven into firm contact with the outer end wall of the slot.

This key is slitted transversely from its small end towards its large end, as at 14, so that the key may be said to be severed along the greater portion of its length to provide two tongues 15, 16, which are normally alined, as shown in Fig. 4. The slit formed in this Wedge is cut obliquely in a transverse direction so that the opposing edges ofthe two tongues are correspondingly beveled or inclined transversely. The said opposing edges may be referred to as deflecting edges or means. Nedge keys of this general type are usually provided with a straight inner edge 17 at right angles to opposite sides of the key, While the outer or wedge edge of the key is preferably rounded, as at 18. The key is therefore tapered lengthwise, and atits small end has an abrupt taper 19 to facilitate the entrance of the wedge key into the bolt when the parts being temporarily connected by the bolt are comparatively thick and the bolt does not project from these parts. as much as illustrated in the drawings. I 1

In the construction of the bolt, provision is made to assure the inner end of the key slot terminating within the parts being connected, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8, or at least within the washer when suchis used, and where the parts being connected are comparatively thick, the washer may be dispensed with. The operation of inserting the key within the bolt is a simple'one, due to the fact that the outer end wall of the key slot in the bolt usually has a, beveled portion conforming approximately to the taper of the .key, and where a bolt is-used having the double bevel shown in Fig. 1, the key may be conveniently inserted from either side of the bolt. V

The tongues of the wedge key are alined, as stated, and this conditionof the tonguesis maintained when inserting the key into the key slot of the bolt. When the key is hammered orotherwise forced into the key slot so as to firmly bear against theparts. con- 7 nected, or the washer when used, and against tl'iefouterendv wall of the key slot, the force employed will tend to crowd the two tongues together and any slight space existi bevtween the opposing edges of the tongues is quickly taken up, after which, due to thefact that-the key is slightly narrower than the key slot, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the inner oblique or transversely-beveled edge of the outer tongue of the key will be caused to ride transversely over the outer oblique or transversely-beveled edge .of the inner tongue. In fact, these tongues will tend to move laterally in opposite directions so that one side of the inner tongue will'be forcibly driyen againstone side wall ofthe key slot, while the opposite side of the other tongue will be being temporarily connected, or. with a washor, as the case may be, and with the outer end Wall of the key slot; the lateralv deflection of these tongues in opposite directions being gradually increased toward the smallest end of the key, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

' Although the construction of the key described, when driven into a key slot, will assure its retention within a key slot against any jars or vibrations to which the parts connected by the key bolt are subjected, the key can be removed from the bolt and re-used asmany times as an ordinary key used in connection with a slotted key bolt. By driving. the key ina reverse direction from that required to fasten it in place, the two tongues of the key gradually assume their normally alined positions as the key"becomes'loosenedfrom the bolt, although it will be apparent that somewhat more force or power will be required to drive the key. out ofits slot than found necessaryin removing an ordi-nary key from its key bolt.

A key of this kind can be used in connection with a slotted key bolt for permanently coni'iecting parts together, and in such cases the upper tongue may be deflected laterally to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and'when so flexing this upper tongue the inner oblique or beveled edge of the outer tongue will ride up over the-reversely beveled outer edge'of the inner tongue, withthe result that in addition to the outer tongue being moved laterally to the position shown in Fig. 2 or to a somewhat lesser or greater degree, this lateral movement is accompanied by a component upward movement of the tongue, with the result that the upper edge of this outer tongue will be forced in contact with the bevel lOshownin Fig.1, so that not only resistance against withdrawal of the key is provided by ,the key being infrictional .or binding contact at its lower edge, its sides and its upper edge being in contact with the bevel 11,but the upper edge of the key is also'in contact withithe opposite bevel 1O at'the outer 'end of the key slot, vas clearly shown in. Fig.

1. This upper tongue is therefore not only bent laterally,b ut also bent upwardly, makthat the superficial area of the key in contact with the walls of the slot and the parts being connected, or the washer used in conjunction therewith, are multiplied many times, and it will be clear that the side of one tongue driven in firm contact with one of the side walls of the key slot will have a greater binding effect than the two edges of the ordinary key slot. Therefore, by the use of this invention, applicant retains all the binding qualities of the ordinary wedge key in that it utilizes the edges of the key in the same manner as provided for in an ordinary key, and in addition thereto provides binding surfaces throughout the full width of each of the tongues of the key, which by reason of the employment of the beveled slit through the key will cause as effective a gripping action against the side wall of the key slot over a greater area than provided by the edges of the key.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: a

1. A wedge key slit along a portion of its length and having the slit extending obliquely through the key to form two tongues with oppositely-beveled opposing edges.

2. The combination with a key bolt having a slot therein provided with a beveled outer end wall, of a wedge key inserted through said slot and slit along a portion of its length to form two tongues, said tongues having oppositely-beveled opposing edges adapted to ride laterally in contact with each other when said key is forcibly driven into said slot so as to cause said tongues to impinge against the opposite side walls of said key slot. 7

3. The combination of a key bolt having a slot extending lengthwise therethrough and provided with an outer end wall having oppositely beveled portions, a wedge key extending through said key slot and having its outer edge in contact with one of the beveled portions of said key slot, said wedge key being slit along a portion of its length to provide an outer and an inner tongue having oppositely beveled opposing edges to cause said tongues to be forcibly driven against the side ingly beveled outer edge wall in contact with the beveled inner edge wall of said outer tongue, the beveled edges of said tongues riding laterally against each other under force applied to the larger end of said wedge key to cause the outer tongue to bear against one side wall of said key slot and the inner tongue to bear against the other side wall of said key slot.

5. A wedge key slit along a portion of its length and having the slit extending obliquely through the key to form two normally alined parts in opposition to each other with oppositely beveled opposing edges, said opposing edges riding laterally in contact under pressure applied to the outer edges of the key along the region coextensive with said slit to force said normally alined parts out of alinement.

6. A wedge key adapted to be inserted through the slot of a key bolt, having two alined tongues provided with co-acting opposing faces adapted to cause said tongues to be moved out of true alinement under force applied to the large end of the key when inserted into said slot so as to cause at least one of said tongues to bear against at least one of the side walls of said slot.

7. A wedge key adapted to be inserted through a slot of a key bolt having two normally transverselyalined tongues provided with co-acting opposing faces adapted to cause relative movement of said tongues laterally within said slot under force applied to the larger end of the key when inserted in said slot so as to impinge against at least one wall of said slot at a side of said key in addition to impingement of the edges of said key against the ends of said slot.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

KARL F. "W. KEMPF.

walls of said key slot when driving said key in said slot, the outer tongue being adapted to be forced laterally to cause its inner beveled edge to ride laterally over the oppositely beveled outer edge of the inner tongue and the upper edge of the laterally forced portion of said outer tongue in contact with the other bleveled portion at the outer end of said key s 0t.

4. The combination with a bolt having a key slot therein, of a wedge key entered into said slot and slit obliquely lengthwise along a portion of its length to provide an outer tongue having a beveled inner edge wall and an inner tongue having a correspond- 

